FIRDOUS AHMAD
SRINAGAR, Aug 2: A prolonged delay in the conduct of interviews for the post of Assistant Director (Economics & Statistics) in the Planning, Development, and Monitoring Department has left hundreds of qualified candidates in a state of anxiety and frustration, as the Jammu and Kashmir Public Service Commission (JKPSC) remains silent more than six months after declaring the results of the mains examination.
The recruitment process, initiated through Notification No. 13-PSC (DR-P) of 2023 dated April 13, 2023, initially advertised nine posts. This was followed by Notification No. 01-PSC (DR-P) of 2024 dated March 5, 2024, which added 89 more vacancies, taking the total number of posts to 98. The written examination for both notifications was held in a consolidated manner from August 6 to August 21, 2024. The result was declared on January 31, 2025, through Notification No. PSC/Exam(S)/2025/06. Since then, no official communication has been issued by the Commission regarding the next stage of the selection process.
The delay has triggered growing concern among aspirants, particularly in the backdrop of rising unemployment in Jammu and Kashmir, where government jobs are seen as one of the few reliable employment avenues. Several candidates who qualified the mains exam said they have been left in professional limbo, unable to plan their future due to the absence of any schedule for interviews.
“I qualified the exam with the hope that the process would be concluded within a reasonable timeframe. But more than six months have passed, and there is no update from JKPSC. This silence is crushing,” said Irfan Ahmad, a candidate from Budgam, while talking to Kashmir Despatch.
Another aspirant, Misbah Jan from Pulwama, expressed concern over the age barrier that looms large due to the delay. “I am nearing the upper age limit for many government posts. If the interviews are further delayed, I may not be eligible for other recruitments. This isn’t just a delay, it’s the loss of a lifetime opportunity,” she said, while talking to the Kashmir Despatch.
Candidates allege that despite repeated attempts to contact the JKPSC for clarification, there has been no response. Many have written to the Commission and made formal representations, but the absence of any public statement has only deepened their apprehensions. Some aspirants said they even left private-sector jobs to prepare for the exam, assuming that the selection process would be time-bound.
“There is a sense of helplessness. I left a contractual research position to focus on this exam. Now I’m jobless, waiting endlessly for an interview call that never comes,” said Danish Qadri, an aspirant from Srinagar.
With each passing month, the psychological and financial pressure on the candidates is intensifying. Aspirants said that the delay not only undermines the credibility of the recruitment process but also adds to the already grim employment situation in the region. According to recent reports, Jammu and Kashmir continues to record one of the highest unemployment rates in the country, and the irregularities in recruitment cycles further exacerbate the crisis.
Several candidates urged the Lieutenant Governor’s administration and the General Administration Department to intervene in the matter and ensure that the recruitment process is brought to its logical conclusion without further delay. They demanded that JKPSC make public a clear timeline for the interviews, failing which many candidates fear they will be permanently disqualified either due to age constraints or by being forced to seek other forms of employment outside their field.
As the uncertainty continues, the future of dozens of qualified youth remains at stake, with no official word yet on when the interviews for the Assistant Director (E&S) posts will finally be held.
